SYLLABUS

Course description

Effective brand management is crucial for developing products and communication strategies that drive marketing success.
Strong brands build loyalty, add value, and signify change.
This course provides a foundational understanding of what a brand is and how to create, measure, and manage successful brand strategies and integrated communication plans..
It covers defining and positioning a brand, and effectively communicating the brand both internally and externally through owned, earned, and paid media.

Course Focus:

This course is designed to equip students with the skills to approach branding, define brand positioning, and develop an integrated communication plan with a specified budget. It includes detailed instruction on planning for Paid Media.
It will be conducted in English

Course Structure:

Part 1: Brand Fundamentals

• Introduction to branding: definitions and key theories.
• Brand building process: expressing a brand, managing a brand portfolio, and measuring brand value.

Part 2: Communication Plan Development

• Setting up a communication plan.
• Introduction to media using the POE (Paid, Owned, Earned) classification.
• Planning and purchasing paid media, with a focus on digital media.

Final Section: Budget and Measurement

• Setting up a communication budget.
• Measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of implemented activities.
• Note: Digital platform analytics (e.g., Google and social networks) will be briefly introduced but not covered in detail.

Course topics:

Details of lesson topics, slides, and other classroom materials (e.g., videos) will be published during the course on this website. Below is a summary of the topics to be covered:

• Course introduction
• Brand history and definitions
• Brand building process
• Brand Identification System
• Brand value and brand audit
• Brand management
• Brand choreography and customer journey
• Owned, paid, and earned media
• Key metrics for offline and digital media
• Media scenario: video, audio, text
• Google Ads
• Meta for Business and other social media platforms
• Influencer Marketing
• Media planning and buying process
• Communication budget

Teaching Methodology:

A project-based approach is adopted to allow students to apply theories and models to real-world scenarios, developing effective and realistic communication plans. The course will extensively combine lectures with interactive exercises, case analyses, and project work.

Exam texts

To prepare for the exam, students are required to study ALL the articles, videos, handouts and slides that will be found on this course website: home page.
No other text is required.

However, for those wishing to have reference texts, you can consult:

Building strong brands, David A. Aaker, Pocket Books 2010

The New Marketing, Cheryl Burgess and Mark Burgess, Sage 2020

The Media Handbook, Helen Katz, Routledge, sixth edition 2017

Prerequisites:

Fluency in English, basic marketing knowledge.

Verification of learning (Exam)

Examination and Grading Criteria

Written Test:

All students, regardless of attendance, must take a 30-minute written test consisting of both closed and open questions. A minimum score of 15 (out of a maximum of 31) is required to pass. This test assesses the students' knowledge and understanding of the course material. The score from this test constitutes half of the final grade.

Final Grade Calculation:

• Non-attending students or those who did not complete the project work:
• These students must take an oral exam, which includes 3-4 open questions on the course material. This oral exam can add up to 3 points to the written test score, but it can also lower the score or indicate insufficient preparation. The oral exam evaluates the students' understanding, applied knowledge, and judgement regarding the course topics.
• Eligibility for the oral exam requires a minimum score of 15 on the written test.
• Attending students who completed the project work:
• The final grade is calculated based on the project work grade and the written test score, combined with points earned from Kahoot quizzes. The formula is: (Project Work Grade + [(Test Grade + Kahoot Points)] / 2).
• The project work is designed to foster teamwork, and the evaluation is based on how well students applied their knowledge and made judgements.

Overall Grade:

• Both attending and non-attending students can achieve the highest grade of 30/30 cum laude.

How to Earn Kahoot Points:

• At the end of most lessons, a Kahoot quiz will be conducted to assess understanding of the material covered.
• Students in the top 50% of the class ranking (based on quiz scores) will receive 1 point to be added to their written exam score.
• Additional points may be awarded for participation in Kahoot games on particularly important topics throughout the course.

Project Work:

• For Attending Students:
• At the start of the course, students will be organized into groups to complete a project work, which will replace the oral exam.
• The project work is designed to teach teamwork and must be done in groups by attending students.
• For Non-Attending Students:
• Non-attending students cannot do the project work because it’s a team effort. They must take the oral exam.

Evaluation Criteria:

• The evaluation criteria for the group project are detailed in a rubric (maximum score: 31/30), which will be provided during the project briefing.
• Project topics will be defined during the course.

Peer Review:

• A peer review process is in place, which may result in penalties or cancellation of the project grade for any student who does not contribute adequately to the team effort.

Validity of Grades:

• The project work grade and Kahoot points are valid for the entire academic year, regardless of the exam session.
• Once submitted, the project work cannot be redone.

Rating Descriptors

Expected learning outcomes: Dublin Descriptors:

Knowledge and Understanding:

By the end of the course, students should:

• Understand the terminology related to branding, planning, and media buying.
• Grasp fundamental concepts of brand management, advertising budgets, and communication plans.
• Recognize the characteristics of various media.
• Know how media audiences are measured.
• Identify sources of information necessary for setting an advertising budget.
• Comprehend the planning process and the key players in the industry.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding:

Students will be able to:

• Establish a brand-building process and select the appropriate media to meet communication objectives.
• Develop both offline and non-automated online media plans.
• Prepare a communication budget request document.

Making Judgements:

Students will:

• Evaluate a brand using desk analysis (e.g., Kapferer Prism) and assess the correct setting of brand identity elements and value propositions.
• Determine the effectiveness and efficiency of different media within a communication strategy.
• Critically evaluate the professionalism of a communication plan.

Communication:

Students should:

• Present their work clearly and concisely using appropriate terminology.
• Effectively justify their choices and convincingly present proposals, utilizing visual tools (e.g., PowerPoint) and oral presentations.

Learning Skills:

Students will:

• Navigate the fields of branding and media planning, identify relevant information sources, and select the most useful data for their projects.
• Possess a foundational knowledge base that supports ongoing learning and adaptation in a highly strategic and innovative sector.